Apply for NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program

Artists of all disciplines who live and work in Tompkins County are invited to apply to this free entrepreneurial program presented by NYSCA and NYFA and the Community Arts Partnership from November 3rd to the 6th.

New York Foundation on the Arts (NYFA) is an amazing statewide organization that offers NYS artists professional development, awards and grants, fiscal sponsorship and online resources. 

NYFA and CAP are partnering to offer their NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program.

About the Program

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program is a professional development program that will take place in Ithaca starting on Thursday, November 3rd and ending on Sunday, November 6th. Sessions will be at our CAP Artspace on the Ithaca Commons.

The program will be presented free of charge to selected participants.

Artist as Entrepreneur is presented by The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts’ State & Local Partnerships program (and the Community Arts Partnership) as part of a series of ongoing professional development programs for the arts communities in New York State.

Artists interested in attending are required to apply, and participants are selected through a panel review process.

Artists of all disciplines and at any stage in their careers (Visual, Multidisciplinary, Performing, Literary, Interdisciplinary, Social Practice, Folk and Traditional, Film, Video and New Media) and career stages, including students, are encouraged to apply.

Preference is given to artists living in Tompkins County, athough you can apply if you are in a neighboring county. 

Application Deadline:
Wed, October 12, 11:59 PM EDT.

The Program is an intensive, multi-day in-person professional development opportunity that delves into the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts. Content will be customized in light of the current challenges artists are facing everywhere. The program will also specifically target issues for artists located in Tompkins County, and will be presented with this perspective in mind. 

The program benefits artists of all disciplines and stages of their career who are looking to identify new ways of thinking and approaching their arts practice, while seeking a community of like-minded peers.

Featured topics will include strategic planning, finance, law, marketing, and fundraising, with additional material drawn from NYFA’s popular textbook, The Profitable Artist (Allworth Press, 2018). The structure is a blend of workshops, discussions, and breakout groups. Participants will work through flexible and dynamic tools that will help to provide a blueprint for their practice and/or specific projects.

Program Dates and Location:

Attendance is mandatory to all sessions.
Please check your calendar before applying.

Thursday, November 3: 5:00 PM–8:00 PM:

• Meet & Greet: Overview of Artist As Entrepreneur and Participant Introductions

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 4, 5 and 6, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM:

• Intensive:
  • Workshops and panels on strategic planning, marketing, finance, art law and fundraising
  • A work sample review based on each artist’s application submission to the program
  • Individual presentations of action plans in small groups to close the program

Location: Tompkins Center for History and Culture; 110 N. Tioga Street; Ithaca, NY 14850

Eligibility:

• Open to artists in all disciplines and career stages, including students
• Artists living and working in New York State, with priority given to those residing in Tompkins County.

  Note: NYFA Is currently reviewing the next sentence. go ahead and apply. We think that what will happen is that everyone will take a quick covid test before the first session. No vaccination records required. I think...But just apply!

• NYFA Covid Safety Protocols: NYFA requires that all participants show proof of Covid 19 vaccination and a booster shot upon entry into the space. Masks will be optional during the program.

Guidelines and Application:

On the application - link below - NYFA asks that you provide:-

Your long-term goals and why you are interested in applying to this program
A narrative bio of your professional career
A link to your website or online presence
Work samples with work statement and description

Notification: Friday, October 21
We will accept about 30 artists into the program.

If you have questions about the application process:

Contact NYFA Learning at learning@nyfa.org and include “Artist as Entrepreneur Ithaca” in the subject line.

To request assistance in filling out the registration form, please email learning@nyfa.org. We ask that requests for accommodation be made as soon as possible and by September 30 to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application before the deadline

Here's the Application Form 

CLICK HERE to be taken to the application which is on the platform "Submittable"

Instructions for Submittable:
At the bottom of the page you will either see the beginning of the application. Most likely you will have to either sign into Submittable (if you already have an account) or you'll need to create one. Click the appropriate box. Once you create that account, you'll come right back to that page and you'll see the question fields at the bottom.

Testimonials:

The program was everything and more, from the knowledgeable program facilitators, along with the experienced guest speakers. It was great to go through the exercises of the action plans, goal setting, work sample reviews, and group share outs. I can say with confidence all the new information and strategies that were presented will help elevate my art practice. The artists that participated in the program were all very supportive and the program encouraged those participating to network and make connections that would be helpful in reaching the goals needed for everyone’s art practice.

Rosaria Bazan-Pepe, 2022 NYFA/NYSCA Artist as Entrepreneur Program

This is a great program to help you focus on your goals as a professional artist. It is well thought out and organized in a way so you walk away with focused next steps to grow your creative business. You learn from speakers who are very knowledgeable, engaging, and get you to interact with other art entrepreneurs. You also learn from your peers. It is worth the investment of time and I appreciated being part of it.

Paul Cammarata, 2022 NYFA/NYSCA Artist as Entrepreneur Program

This program is made possible through New York State Council on the Arts, State & Local Partnerships with the support of the Governor’s Office and the New York State Legislature.

This program is part of NYFA Learning, which includes professional development for artists and arts administrators. Sign up for NYFA’s free bi-weekly newsletter to receive updates on future programs.